Control of diesel and other internal combustion engines



Dec. 3, 1940. H. E. HILL ETAL 2,223,419

CONTROL OF DIESEL AND OTHER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 15, 1939 w m 09 a MNT Patented Dec. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT oFF ca CONTROL OF DIESEL AND OTHER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES company Application May 13, 1939, Serial No. 273,556 In Great Britain May 23, 1938 9 Claims. (Cl. 290-4) This invention comprises improvements in or relating to the control of Diesel and other internal combustion engines.

It is an object of the invention to provide an 5 automatic engine-starting system whereby on operation of a distant control or a relay or float switch an internal combustion engine or the like can be started without necessitating the presence of an operator. It is a'further object of the invention to provide a system whereby a large internal combustion engine may readily be started.

The invention comprises in an automatic engine-starting system the combination with electrically controlled starting means for the engine and a main switchfor setting the starting means in operation of a time-delay switch for cutting off the starting means a predetermined time after it has been switched on and a switch-mechanically operated by the engine when started for alternatively cutting oil the starting means. The effect of the time-delay switch is to prevent the starting means from being worked unduly if the engine fails to start, while the effect of the switch which is mechanically operated by the engine is to cut off the starting means in the normal event of the engine starting, so that the starting means do not remain permanently in use.

Such a starting arrangement facilitates the operations even if an operator be present, but it is a further feature of the invention that the main switch may be electrically operated and closed automatically by a relay float switch or other means operable from a distance or in response to predetermined external conditions. In

this way the set can be started without the presence of an operator.

In one form of the apparatus the time-delay switch and engine-operated switch serve to render inoperative the actuating circuit of the main switch.

It is often desirable to have an alternative to the usual electric starting motor or air starting device for setting into operation large internalcombustion engines which can be used when (as in the case of remote or automatic control) the usual systems have disadvantages. In such cases according to the present invention the starting means comprise an auxiliary engine, an electric starter for the auxiliary engine whichis controlled by the main switch and means to connect the auxiliary engine when started to the main engine, the aforesaid engine-operated switch being operated by the main engine. The means to connect the auxiliary engine when started to the main engine may comprise a magnetic clutch and a switch to operate the magnetic clutch when the auxiliary engine has been started. The switch for the magnetic clutch may be a time-delay switch the operation of which is initiated when the electric starter is energised and which op- 5 erates the magnetic clutch after a predetermined interval adequate for the starting of the engine, and the engine-operated switch for cutting of! the starting means may also serve to cut off the magnetic clutch. 10

The following is a description by way of example of one form of automatic engine-starting system in accordance with the invention:

The accompanying drawing is a connection diagram showing the various parts of the system. 15

The diagram indicates a main engine II and an auxiliary internal-combustion starting engine l2. The main engine is provided with a starting pulley l3 driven from a clutch pulley I4 on the starting engine. The clutch pulley is con- 20 nected to the starting engine through a magnetic clutch indicated diagrammatically at IS. The auxiliary starting engine I2 is permanently connected by a belt It (or it may be direct-coupled) to an electric starting motor I! and a starting 25 battery I8 is provided for operating the starting motor. In order to keep the starting battery charged a trickle charger i9 is provided which is permanently in operation. The auxiliary 1nternal-combustion engine I2 is provided with a 30 starting handle I22 for hand starting, so that it can be started manually in case the battery should become run down for any reason.

The starting engine l2 has a fuel supply which is connected to the engine through a valve ca- 35 pa'ble of being opened by energisation of a fuel solenoid 20. Similarly, the main engine is provided with a fuel solenoid 2i, energisation of which will open the supply of fuel to the engine; the main engine also has a compression release 40 device to facilitate starting which is operated by a compression release solenoid 22.

A control panel 23 is provided which comprises four electrically-operated switches 24, 25, 26 and 21 together with a knife switch 28 and a red pilot 45 lamp 29. A starting switch 30 is provided which is connected to the control panel by circuit wires 3|, 32 and may be operated at a distance from the installation either by an operator, in which case the starting or main switch will be consti- 5o tuted by a push button switch, or by a relay from some form of remote control or the switch 30 may alternatively be any automatically operated switch which it is desired should determine the starting of the main engine. The effect 55 that the contacts 34 are connected by the line- 35, terminal 38 and connection 31 with the negative terminal of the battery I8. When the contacts 34 are closed the battery is connected through the contacts by the connection 38', terminal 39, line 40 to the negative terminal of the starting motor I1. The positive terminal of the starting motor is connected to the battery by the line 4|. Thus, closing of the contacts 34 will set the starting motor in operation.

The main starting switch 30 is connected to the contactor winding 24 to operate it through the following circuit: from the negative terminal of the battery through contact 36, connection 31, contactor winding 24, connection 42, normally-closed relay contacts 41, connection 48, terminal 49, line 50, normally-closed contacts 5|, 52 on the main engine (hereinafter described), line 53, terminal 54, connection 55, terminal 58, line 32 to the switch 30 and thence by line 3|, terminal 51 and connection 58 to the positive terminal 59 which is connected by line 80 to the positive side of the battery. The knife switch 28 is in parallel with the switch 30 through connection 5| on the positive side and connection 82 from the other pole of the knife switch. Consequently, closing the knife switch at the panel itself will have exactly the same effect, namely the starting-up of the engine, as the operation of the switch 30 at a distance.

The fuel solenoid 20 of the starting engine is in parallel with theoperating coil 24 of the contactor switch through lines 83, 84, terminals 35, 83 and connections 61 and 31. Therefore, when the contactor switch is operated to crank the starting engine, the fuel supply to that engine 45 will be simultaneously begun.

In series with the fuel solenoid 20 and the contactor winding 24 there are the contacts 41 and 5|, 52 already referred to. The contacts 41, although normally closed, are capable of being 50 opened by the winding 21 which is a time-delay by way of the connection 48, terminal 49, contacts 5|, 52, terminal 54, connection 55, switch 30 and connection 58 to the positive terminal of the battery. The contacts 5|, 52 are capable of being opened by a centrifugally-operated element on the main engine. Thus, if the main en- 0 gine starts normally and comes up to speed, the centrifugal device will open the contacts 5|, 52 and thereby break the circuit of the contactor winding 24 and the fuel solenoid 20 and disconnect the starting motor. On the other hand, if 5 the main engine does not start within a suitable predetermined time, the time-delay winding 21 will operate and open the contacts 41, thus quickly disconnecting the starting motor and preventing the battery from being unnecessarily run down. The time-delay switch 21 has a pair of auxiliary 41 are opened. These contacts are connected from the negative terminal of the battery through the connections 1|, 12 and thence through con- 75 nections 13, 14 to the pilot lamp 29. Therefore,

are closed through the connection 88 and thence contacts 10 which are closed when the contacts if the engine fails to start-and the time-delay switch 21 operates, the red pilot lamp is illuminated, giving a warning of the condition of the circuit. The pilot lamp need not be mounted on the panel 23 but may be located at any control point if desired. In parallel with the pilot lamp, or as an alternative thereto, there may be a relay I30 to close the circuit of a starting device for a second engine I, if the plant includes more than one engine; thus, if the first engine fails to start, the second engine I is automatically set in operation. Such a switch would hear the same relation to the starting circuit ofv the second engine as the switch 30 bears to the starting circuit of the first engine. The second engine I is illustrated as being started by an auxiliary engine 2 similar to the auxiliary engine I2 of the first engine and this auxiliary engine is started by an electric starter ||1 operated by a battery 8 from a starting panel I23. The starting panel I23 comprises terminals I58, I51 corresponding to the terminals 53, 51 of the starting panel I23 'and connected to the contacts of the relay I30 in the same way as the contacts 58, 51 are connected to the starting switch 30 of the panel 23. The battery 8 and starter 1 are connected to terminals I38, I39, I53 corresponding to the terminals 35, 39 and 59 of panel 23 and the panel I23 is provided with internal connections and relays which duplicate the connections and relays of the panel 23. Thus the second engine I I I can be started automatically by the closing of the relay I30 exactly as the first engine II is started by the closing of the switch 30.

The magnetic clutch I5 is connected by lines 15, 18 to terminals 11, 18. The terminal 18 is connected by way of the terminal 49, the centrifugal switch contacts 5|, 52 and the starting switch contacts 30 with the positive side of the battery, while the terminal 11 is connected by connection 13 to contacts 80 of the second timedelay relay 28 and thence by connection 31 to the negative terminal of the battery. The time-delay winding 26 is itself connected on the one hand to the negative side of the battery by the same route as the contacts 80 and on the other hand to the positive side of the battery through the connections 62, 55, the switch 30 and the connection 58. The contacts 80 are normally open but will be closed by the winding 23 a predetermined time after closing of the main starting switch 30. The axuiliary engine will therefore not be connected to the main engine to rotate it during the period in which it is being started by the starting motor l1, but after a predetermined interval the winding 28 closes the circuit of the magnetic clutch; this interval is sufficient to allow for the starting of the auxiliary engine. If the auxiliary engine starts properly, therefore, the main engine II will be rotated to start it after the same predetermined time interval. The fuel solenoid 2| of the main engine is energised in parallel with the winding 23 through the lines 8 I, 82 as soon as the starting switch 30 is actuated so that the main engine will be receiving fuel when it begins to be rotated by the starting engine.

The winding 25 constitutes a third time-delay winding, the contacts 83 of which are normally closed. These contacts convey current from the positive side of the battery through the starting switch contacts 30 by way of the connections 55, 8'2 and 84, delivering this current through the terminal 85 on the control panel and lines 88, 81 to the compression release coil 22 of the main engine, whence it returns via terminal 88 to the negative side of the battery. Therefore, the compression release coil will be energised when the starting switch 30 is closed and the main engine 6 will start on reduced compression. After a time the winding 25, which extends from the positive connection 84 to the negative connection 12, will operate to open the contacts 83 and this time is arranged to be such as to give the main engine 1% time to be started on reduced compression,

whereaiter it begins to run normally.

The centrifugal switch contacts 52 which cut off the starting motor l1, only operate when the engine has begun to run at a speed of, say,

10% in excess of the speed at which the engine is cranked by the starting engine i2 and therefore up to this time the starting motor i! is kept going. When the centrifugal switch 5!, 52 op crates it will be seen from the connections which have been described that it not only breaks the circuit of the contactor 24, thereby cutting off the starting motor, but also breaks the circuit of the fuel solenoid 2|] of the starting engine 12 and the circuit of the magnetic clutch 15, so that the auxiliary starting engine is simultaneously disconnected from the main engine and from its fuel supply and thereby brought to rest.

The main engine continues to run as long as the starting switch or the knife switch 28 are 30 kept closed because its fuel solenoid 2| is directly energised by the starting switch circuit connections 58, 55 and II. The main engine will, however, immediately be stopped when the starting connections have broken and it follows that if the switch 3|] is an automatic switch such as a float switch, the main engine will be brought to rest as soon as the float reaches the level necessary to open the contacts at 30, or in the case or another form of automatic switch, as soon as the 4 conditions are reached, due to the running of the main engine, which the switch is set to operate under. Consequently, the starting and stopping of the main engine with the system according to the present invention may be entirely automatic,

although of course the switch as affords an alternative hand-control.

We claim:

1. An automatic engine-starting system comprising in combination a main engine, an auxo iliary starting engine, an electric starting motor for the auxiliary engine, a source of electricity for the starting motor, a main switch for connecting the starting motor to the source of electricity, an electrically actuated clutch to connect the auxiliary engine when started to the main engine to start it, a time-delay switch so controlled that its action is initiated by the means for setting the starting motor in operation, which time-delay switch is connected to the said clutch to operate it so as to couple the engines at a predetermined interval aiter the said initiation of its action, a further time-delay switch for cutting of! the starting motor from the said source a predetermined time after it has been switched on. 65 said time being longer than that or the time-delay switch for operating the electrically actuated clutch and a switch operable by the main engine when started to alternatively cut of! the starting motor. 70 2. An automatic engine-starting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main switch is an electrically-operated switch and means are provided which are responsive to predetermined external conditions for energising the operating circuit of the main switch automatically.

3. An automatic engine-starting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main switch is an electrically-operated switch and its operating circuit is carried to a distant point of control where a control device for actuating the main 1 switch is located.

4. An automatic engine-starting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main switch is an electrically-operated switch and the time-delay for cutting oi the starting motor switchv and the 15 engine-operated switch each act by rendering in: operative the actuating circuit of the main switch.

5. An automatic engine-starting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engine-operated switch for cutting off the starting means also 20 serves to cut of! the electrically operated clutch.

6. An engine starting system comprising in combination an auxiliary starting engine, an electric starting motor for the auxiliary engine, a source of electricity for the starting motor, a 25 main switch for connecting the starting motor to the source of electricity, an electrically actuated clutch to connect the auxiliary engine when started to the main engine to start it, an electrically operated time-delay switch for cutting off 30 the starting motor from the said source a predetermined time after it has been switched on, the operating coil of said electrically operated switch being energized when the motor starting circuit is completed, a switch operable by the main engine when started to alternatively out OK the starting motor which engine operated switch also breaks the circuit of the operating coil of the said time-delay switch, and a circuit completed by the time-delay switch, if its operating coil cir- 4O cult is not broken, to energize a starting circuit for a second engine.

7. An engine-starting system comprising in combination an auxiliary internal-combustion engine for rotating the main engine which is to be started, an electrically actuated clutch for coupling the auxiliary engine'to the main engine, an electric starting motor for the auxiliary engine, means for setting the starting motor in operation, a time-delay switch so controlled that its 50 action is initiated by the means for setting the starting motor in operation, which time-delay switch is connected to the clutch to operate it so as to couple the engines at a predetermined interval after the said initiation of its action, and an automatic switch operated by the main engine after it has been started so as to terminate the operation of the clutch.

8. An engine starting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the said automatic switch operated by the main engine serves also to terminate operation of the starting motor.

9. An engine starting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein two time-delay switches are provided, one the said switch for operating the clutch and the other, operating after a longer interval, for disconnecting the starting motor from operation.

HAROLD EVERETT HILL. LEONARD BURBRDGE. 7o 

